Humanitext Reader

Theophrastus · Fragments §111.1

The Elean Beauty Contest and Dedication of Arms to Athena

Passage 116 of 196 · Greek

Summary

Theophrastus describes a beauty contest held among the Eleans and the custom where the weapons awarded as prizes to the victors are dedicated to Athena.

§111.1Fr. 111 Θ. ἀγῶνα κάλλους φησὶ γενέσθαι παρὰ Ἠλείοις καὶ τὴν κρίσιν ἐπιτελεῖσθαι μετὰ σπουδῆς, λαμβάνειν τε τοὺς νικήσαντας ἆθλα ὅπλα ἅπερ ἀνατίθεσθαί φησι Διονύσιος ὁ Λευκτρικὸς τῇ Ἀθηνᾷ.
Fr. 111 Theophrastus says that a beauty contest takes place among the Eleans, and that the judging is conducted with great earnestness, and that the victors receive weapons as prizes, which Dionysius of Leuctra says are dedicated to Athena.

Notes

  1. §111.1ἆθλα ὅπλα — Two neuter accusative plural nouns in apposition or predicate relation. ἆθλα (prizes) modifies ὅπλα (weapons/arms) to mean 'weapons as prizes.'
  2. §111.1ἅπερ ἀνατίθεσθαί φησι — The relative pronoun ἅπερ (neuter accusative plural, referring back to ὅπλα) functions as the subject accusative of the passive infinitive ἀνατίθεσθαι, which is governed by the reporting verb φησι (whose subject is Διονύσιος). It means 'which Dionysius says are dedicated [to Athena].'

Cite this passage

Theophrastus, Fragments §111.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0093.tlg010x09.humanitext-grc1:111.1

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